Look up, and look down: Taiwan’s streets and skyline are full of small design details and landmarks that reward a second glance.

The Animated Pedestrian Crossing Figure

Taiwan’s pedestrian traffic lights feature a small animated figure — colloquially known as the little green man （小綠人） — that walks when it is safe to cross and progressively speeds up as the remaining time decreases, before switching to red. The animation is charming enough to have become something of a cultural mascot; Taipei has even installed novelty variants featuring pairs of figures holding hands or walking dogs at certain intersections. What the figure communicates practically is useful: the increasing pace of the animation gives a calibrated sense of urgency without requiring the pedestrian to stare at a countdown number. Check the animated pedestrian crossing figure on YouTube.

The Covered Pavement: Qílóu

Many older commercial streets in Taiwan feature qílóu（騎樓）: a colonnaded arcade formed by the ground floors of buildings projecting out over the pavement, creating a covered walkway between the road and the shop fronts. The design arrived via southern China and spread through the Japanese colonial period as a practical response to Taiwan’s hot summers and frequent rain. Walking under qílóu allows you to move between shops in comfort regardless of weather, though the uneven heights, occasional motorbikes parked in the arcade, and varying floor levels can require attention underfoot.

Riverside Parks as Flood Defence

The wide, flat green spaces lining Taipei’s rivers — including the extensive Danshui and Keelung riverside parks popular with cyclists, joggers, and families — are not purely recreational. They are engineered flood plains: when typhoon rainfall causes river levels to rise, these parks are designed to flood, protecting the urban areas behind the flood walls. The parks sit several metres below road level, accessed by staircases through the flood barriers. On ordinary days they are delightful public amenities; in typhoon season they may be submerged. If you cycle along the riverside and notice the park gates are closed, a flood warning is likely in effect — heed it.

New Taipei City Christmas Town

Each year from late November through early January, New Taipei City transforms its civic centre around Banciao Station into one of Asia’s most elaborate Christmas light installations, known as New Taipei City Christmas Town（新北耶誕城）. The event attracts millions of visitors and features large-scale light sculptures, a central illuminated Christmas tree visible from the surrounding streets, and live music performances. It is conspicuous given that Taiwan has no significant Christian majority, and illustrates the wider East Asian tendency to adopt the aesthetic and commercial aspects of Western holidays with enthusiasm while decoupling them from religious meaning. For residents, the picture is more mixed. The crowds generate serious congestion around Banqiao, straining transport links and disrupting the rhythms of a busy commuter district. It is worth bearing in mind if you are passing through rather than visiting on purpose.

Taipei 101’s Changing Lights

Each night, the upper floors of Taipei 101 are illuminated in one of seven colours corresponding to the day of the week — following the order of the visible spectrum: red on Monday, orange on Tuesday, yellow on Wednesday, green on Thursday, blue on Friday, indigo on Saturday, and violet on Sunday. This system makes the tower something of a living calendar visible from across the Taipei basin.

Taipei Zoo: One of Asia’s Largest

The Taipei Zoo in Wenshan District covers a total area of 165 hectares, making it one of the largest zoos in Asia. The zoo is easily accessible by MRT (the Brown Line terminates at the zoo entrance), and its size means that a full visit rewards an entire day; taking the in-park shuttle to the upper areas and walking back downhill is the most comfortable strategy.